5/10/07: Where I am right now...

Well, allow me to apologize [again] for the slow, creeping blog-death around here. I'm sorry I haven't been able to post more regularly. You can feel free to blame my lack of blogging on any of the following:

• Work sucks. The pace at the office continues to increase... I'm incredibly fortunate that the stress of our looming project deadline doesn't really impact me except while I'm at the office. However, the time at work leaves me pretty drained so I'm not up for much once I get home.
  
• I'm way behind in my reading for this term's "classes" and am scrambling to get caught up. I'm still waiting for a way to upload biblical Greek directly into my brain, but it ain't happening.
• Gannon is playing t-ball for the first time, so I've been attending practices and trying to get him to stop throwing like a girl... I kid, I kid. Er, mostly.
• For the last week or so, I've been madly prepping for a church meeting this coming weekend. There was some serious reading required, and I have a pea-brain. So, I'd appreciate prayers on that front.
• On top of that, I got tapped to teach this Sunday in our ABF. So, what bandwidth I thought I saved has been sucked up again.

Lest this post be all gripe and no substance, let me point you to a couple things...
First off, check out the Dartmouth Apologia, a Christian journal being published by some Dartmouth students. VBCers might recognize a familiar name on a contribution or two.

On a biblical note, I came across this in prepping for this weekend's ABF lesson. First, check out a couple verses in Psalm 17:

"Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
from men by your hand, O Lord,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
(Ps 17:13b-15, ESV)

Interesting that the Psalmist recognizes that the prosperity of the wicked is real and, shockingly to some, comes from God. But now read Spurgeon's great unpacking of the bolded verse above:

“[The wicked enemies] are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.” But David envies them not. “Go,” says he, “rich man, in all thy riches - go, proud man, in all thy pride - go, thou happy man, with thine abundance of children; I envy thee not; as for me, my lot is different: I can look on you without desiring to have your possessions.

I can well keep that commandment, ’Thou shalt not covet,’ for in your possessions there is nothing worth my love; I set no value upon your earthly treasures; I envy you not your heaps of glittering dust; for my Redeemer is mine.” The man is above envy, because he thinks that the joy would be no joy to him-that the portion would not suit his disposition. Therefore, he turns his eye heavenward, and says, “As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness.” Oh! beloved, it is a happy thing to be free from envy.

... A happy thing, indeed!